Two Holes-In-One

What a Week
While playing golf in Texas a few weeks ago, my uncle made two holes-in-one within four days. Incredible! (That's him on the right after the first one.) According to Callaway, there are fewer than 150 people who have done this while using Callaway golf balls, like my uncle was. And that includes professional golfers. (My uncle is not a professional golfer.)

That got me thinking:

Have you ever seen an ad for golf equipment? Every single one of them features a pro golfer. Every single one. Why doesn't one golf manufacturer take a different approach and focus on everyday golfers with incredible stories like my uncle? That's much more appealing and approachable to the vast majority of people who play the game. Sure, there's something to be said for inspiring amateur golfers by showing them that professionals play with their equipment — and I'm not saying golf manufacturers should ditch their professional player sponsorships. I'm just saying that the stories amateurs tell are much more compelling for the majority of golfers, and I'd love to see one major golf equipment manufacturer tell those stories. I'm looking at you, Callaway.

Add This To Your To-Do List
Celebrity endorsements have proven to be very valuable. In fact as a sponsor, Tiger Woods is often single-handedly credited for building Nike into a highly successful competitor in the golf equipment industry. But it's important to tell the incredible stories of regular customers, too. Celebrities give us something to aspire to, but amazing everyday stories give us something to relate to. For big brands, it's often important to feature both. Are you collecting the amazing stories of your customers? Are you featuring those stories in shareable ways? If not, why not start now? You never know what can happen in just four days.

There's never a lack of ideas.